Patent GB-1231131-A (GB)
IPC: G07F17/34
Filed: 1969-03-04
Abstract: 1,231,131. Fruit or poker machines. NEW CENTURY NOVELTY CO. PTY. Ltd. 4 March, 1969 [5 March, 1968], No. 11566/69. Heading G4V. A fruit or poker machine includes means for generating electrical information in digital form representative of the combination of indicia displayed when the reels stop, a logic unit for examining this information and giving an output if the information is found to represent a winning combination, means for examining the outputs sequentially starting with that corresponding to the most significant payout, means for generating a number corresponding to the most significant output, means for paying out a corresponding amount and a mechanism for stopping the pay out means when the pay out equals the number generated. As described, each reel bears indicia corresponding to playing cards and there are five reels 1-5 so that a typical poker hand is displayed. Each reel carries seven concentric copper tracks 6, for which respective contacts 7-13 are provided. The outer six tracks are formed with etched patterns. When the reels stop, each of contacts 7-12 senses whether it is touching a conductive or non-conductive part of the associated track, a voltage being applied to the conductive parts from contact 13 via the inner track which is continuous. If a conductive part is sensed a binary "1" signal is generated, whereas a binary "0" signal results if a non-conductive part is sensed. A six-bit binary coded number is thus generated for each reel, the first four bits denoting the face value and the last two bits denoting the suit of the card displayed by the respective stopped reel. These coded numbers are fed by respective encoders 1<SP>1</SP>-5<SP>1</SP> to a logic unit 15, from which an output appears on one of lines 16-25 if the numbers are found to represent a winning combination. These lines are then examined sequentially, beginning with the one representing the highest payout, by a shift register 26. When a line e.g. line 16 bearing an output is found, a corresponding AND gate, e.g. gate 27, energizes a corresponding pay out line, e.g. line 28, so that through OR gate 30, pay out mechanism 31 is operated. From line 28, a comparator 29 senses the number of coins to be paid and is effective to stop the payout mechanism when a counter 32 registers this number of coins. The logic unit includes means for analysing the set of five coded numbers fed to it, to determine whether the set represents any of the normal winning poker hands. Ten exclusive OR gates, Fig. 5 (not shown), determine whether any two cards have the same face value. If a pair is present, line 25 is energized. Fifteen AND gates, Fig. 7 (not shown), are used to check for the presence of two separate pairs, which, if found, results in the energization of another line of the payout matrix, e.g. line 24. Two sets often AND gates, Figs. 9 and 8, check for the presence of three cards of the same face value and a full house, respectively, whilst a set of five AND gates, Fig. 10 (not shown), checks for four cards of the same face value. Means, Fig. 11 (not shown), senses the difference between the face values of the lowest and highest cards and if this difference is equal to four and no pair exists, then a straight or run is recorded. A flush is recorded by means, Fig. 12 (not shown). The presence of a running flush and a running flush from ace to ten is also sensed.